Silk saris from Kanchipuram, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, are amongst the finest saris in India. As is to be expected, there are a lot of fakes out there. Sometimes, it's not easy to spot them either.

Fortunately, new legislation was recently introduced to regulate the Kanchipuram silk sari brand. Only 21 cooperative silk societies and 10 individual weavers have been authorized to use the term under the the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999.


  Any other merchants, including textile mill owners in Chennai, who claim to be selling  Kanchipuram silk saris can be fined or jailed.

What to do if you're buying a Kanchipuram silk sari? Make sure you look out for the special GI tag that comes with authentic saris.

Find out more about buying a sari in India.

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